Arthur will be headed there, as well.

What time of day is it? Close to 5 pm, I guess. And I recall this is July in New York, so it won't get dark for another 4 hours or so, right?

Enjoying the story, BTW. Thanks.

Yes, it will be right around five in the afternoon when the investigators arrive at the barber shop. As you mentioned, there will still be a couple of hours of daylight left. At the height of summer in New York, the heat can be oppressive, but in the late afternoon it the temperature is declining a touch.

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

Sorry for being a bit slow this week, it's been a bit crazy at work!

Just in the interest of keeping the narrative moving, I will probably go ahead and have the Professor’s conversation with the groundskeeper occur “off screen” and then have him join the other investigators inside the speakeasy. If he’s able to rejoin us, I’ll summarize the information for him so he can pass it along to the others. Otherwise, I’ll NPC him and post what he found out within the next couple of days.

I'm fine with the off screen conversation, that said, I have rejoined you - I posted last Wednesday with questions for the groundskeeper. I'm fine doing sort of a quicker implementation if that helps keep things moving though!

And I, as you probably inferred from my lack of IC response, totally overlooked Wells’ questions. My fault entirely. Sorry for the confusion.

I’ll still send you the bulk of the groundskeeper’s answer via a PM, so you’ll be able to review it as needed. Once I have it posted, please let me know if Wells has any additional queries.

No problem at all! I can't count the number of times I've done that exact thing as a GM :D

Getting used to PbP is a whole other beast. I thought I was a good GM...until I tried to run a PbP game and noticed that I was only good at running games in person or over voice.

I’ve run a few games in PbP, and while I’d like to think that many have proven successful, experience has certainly not made me immune to foul ups, like this most recent one. For myself, I’ve noticed that when there have been several posts in a row, or there’s a single thread with multiple activities/conversations, sometimes I’ll overlook a player character’s input.

This served as a good reminder for me to double check everything that’s been posted prior to updating anything.

You have run many immaculate games on here. It was bound to happen at some point :D

I haven't run PBP in awhile now, but when I did so quite heavily for about a decade on this site, this was one of the easiest things to miss honestly.

It would be cool if whenever they marked a thread new, they could also mark within that thread all new posts as new as well with some sort of highlight.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Wed 19 Jan 2022.

Could be a decent improvement to the responsive site? :)

Since it appears that there is some discussion regarding a late night visit to the Stanton Street Cemetery, I wanted to bring up the following points:

1. Jake Morris will be able to obtain a copy of the key to the Tapley Crypt prior to the excursion.

2. At night, the gates to the cemetery are closed and locked. The surrounding iron fence is approximately twelve feet tall. Attempting to get through the main gate or one of the side gates would require a successful Locksmith roll. Getting over the fence would require the use of a ladder, which could be procured from any area hardware store. At night, the streets on the eastern and western sides of the graveyard are infrequently traveled and not well lit so it would be possible to utilize the ladder without being observed.

3. Aside from the Tapley Crypt, if the investigators wish to enter any of the other buildings on the grounds, such as the mortuary or mausoleum, the usual efforts involving entering a secured building would need to be employed. Entering any of the other crypts would likely be more involved, should the locks on the doors prove difficult to pick. Tools such as crowbars and hammers would probably be needed to force one of the structures open. The Greenberg Crypt is an exception. One of the stained glass windows could be broken and a smaller member of the group could squeeze through to enter.

4. I should have a map of the cemetery prepared this evening for everyone to refer to.

Jake will get the key made. As he recalls, Bishop took a single key out of a drawer to show them the model mausoleum.



Were there several keys in the drawer, or just the one? Jake has been operating on the assumption that this was a master key or sorts -- but maybe not.

He's also happy to try his Locksmith skills against the gate or the Greenberg tomb when it comes down to it.

I've uploaded a map of the Stanton Street Cemetery as the Main Game Map.


Jake would've have heard the clink of metal when Nathaniel Bishop reached into the drawer, informing him that there were several keys stored there. The key that the undertaker used for the Tapley Crypt is likely unique to that structure, not any manner of master/skeleton key.

Thanks for the map upload!

Some things are just impossible to visualize properly without one. :)

Question: I know that Arthur has suggested speaking with the shoeshine boy’s grandfather. (Note that the boy himself hasn’t been seen by any of the investigators since arriving at the barber shop.) Does the group as a whole want make such a visit, or does everyone want to jump forward to the return trip to the cemetery after dark?

If Arthur wants to try and find the elderly man while others are making preparations, I can certainly pass along what the gentleman tells him via PM.

How many hours have to pass to give us cover of darkness?

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 66):

I think a visit from the full group may be a bit much excitement for the shoe shine boys grandpa, so maybe that's something for Arthur to do on his own the way Wells did with Cortes - and then we can skip forward together.

But I'm good either way.

I think Arthur will head on to chat with the old man, inquiring after the shoeshine boy as well if anyone knows where he is.

Sunset should occur shortly after seven, so I’m thinking that the group would have full cover of darkness by 8 p.m. or so. Of course, the later the investigators wait, the less foot traffic will be in the area. That said, as already established, the streets surrounding the cemetery are not heavily traveled after dark.

I’ll probably start the new thread at around 10 p.m., though I can easily adjust that forward or backward if anyone has a strong preference.

So, about four hours have passed since Jake left to get his key and Arthur went in search of a shoeshine boy and his grandfather? Sully will just stay at the speakeasy, drink carefully, maybe play some cards (Gin Rummy?), and have a sandwich. Does the prof stay with him.

About nine o'clock, Sully is struck by a thought: We need a ladder! (maybe he wasn't quite as careful in his drinking as he intended?) Scouring the surrounding neighborhoods, he finds an eight-foot ladder leaning against a garage and casually hoists it onto his shoulder. He continues on his way to the cemetery.

[All this with Keeper approval, of course.]

I assume, Keeper, that I could share what Arthur heard as well?

I’m completely fine with everything you outlined, but just for the record, if this was a Savage Worlds game, I definitely would have awarded you a Bennie for the above. :)


Absolutely.

Jake, just to confirm, you’re correct, the Tapley Crypt is the one that Nathaniel Bishop allowed the group to enter. However, despite being the apparent resting place for a Manhattan family, some of the investigators had the unshakable sense that the tomb was sterile and unused.

That said, the Greenberg Crypt, by virtue of the unnerving account in the Pillar-Riposte, is assuredly also of interest.